The present disclosure relates generally to bone pins, and more particularly, to intramedullary implants which fix bones with respect to each other. In particular, the present disclosure relates to arthrodesis and osteosynthesis procedures in which bone portions, or two adjacent bones, are fused together.
An arthrodesis or osteosynthesis procedure is typically performed to improve stability and to place or maintain in compression two bone parts or bone fragments that should be consolidated. Stability is a critical factor for obtaining fusion of bone parts, while minimizing the attendant problems such as pain, swelling, etc. A compressive action on the bone portions serves to fuse the bones more rapidly in the position selected by the operator, such as the surgeon, during the operation.
Various technical solutions have been proposed for carrying out an arthrodesis, particularly in the foot, the hand, the wrist, etc. Historically, implants such as, for example, staples (with or without shape memory characteristics) and simple K-wires have been used, as have implants that may have shape memory or may otherwise be expandable. Certain of these implants can produce the compression beneficial to fusion of bone portions, but oftentimes can be difficult to implant. For instance, such implant can be difficult to manipulate in the surgical area, difficult to implant into bone, and/or difficult to orient properly in bone. As such, a need exists for an improved implant and instrumentation that provides the needed compression of the bones while also providing a simplified insertion technique.